Lenihan enjoys my full confidence, says Cowen

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has expressed complete confidence in his Finance Minister Brian Lenihan despite the failure to detect a e7 billion window dressing of Anglo Irish Bank’s accounts.

He said the autumn transactions between Irish Life and Permanent and Anglo were being investigated by the Financial Regulator’s office and had no bearing on the Government’s decision to nationalise the bank last month.

And he said the fact that Mr Lenihan had not read the 120-page report on Anglo had not compromised his position in the Department of Finance.